Productivity hacks for CEOs have evolved over the years from a simple to-do list to biohacking, but here we all are, still mysteriously disappearing into our versions of The Bermuda Triangle of Productivity, never to be found again until the end of the workday.
So doesn’t it make you wonder if these productivity hacks actually work? Or if they’re nothing but productivity quacks, which do nothing to improve your performance?
“We regret to inform you, but your financial data might have been stolen.” It’s a scene straight out of your worst nightmare. It’s something that giant auditing firm Deloitte and a small Connecticut-based accounting firm had to deal with when they were hacked. Data breaches affect firms of all sizes, reiterating that the need for stronger cybersecurity for accounting firms is more real — and pressing — than ever.
Why do hackers target law firms? Simply put- The weak cybersecurity of law firms make them an irresistible lucrative easy target for hackers. Not only are they a goldmine for highly sensitive corporate, financial, and personal data, but also because most firms aren’t prepared to fight off such attacks.
Hackers target law firms with a vengeance — An ALM Legal Intelligence’s cybersecurity report, 95% of corporate counsel agree that cyber-attacks are becoming more frequent. But most law firms continue to ignore the threat with nearly one-third not undergoing any formal information, cybersecurity, and privacy assessment.
Just take a look at what happened to global law firm DLA Piper, who, after proclaiming themselves experts on cybersecurity (even offering their services to affected companies through their 24/7 Rapid Response hotline) fell victim to a massive ransomware attack. Ouch.
For days, they were unable to have access to their files and had to revert to good ol’ fashioned texting to manage the law firm’s operations. And with companies losing anywhere from $300,000 to $1.7 million every hour of downtime, it’s not surprising that it’s still reeling from the attack.
When we think about business risks, we often overlook some of the most destructive factors. There’s so much focus on protecting assets from malicious cyber attacks and human error—especially in law firms—that most fail to prepare for the impact of natural disasters on your firm.
If this year taught us anything about technology, it’s that you should really focus more on protecting and securing your data. No matter how far digital technology has evolved; no matter how advanced today’s tools seem to be—they will remain vulnerable to a lot of different factors. So we thought this IT and tech checklist to achieve just that can help.
We have a few more weeks left before 2018 winds to a close. To some, this simply means parties and celebration. But to business owners and managers, this means a lot of tax planning–and that’s what this manager’s guide to year-end taxes is about.
Year-end planning for taxes can be intimidating and daunting. If 2018 felt like it just flew by, it will feel even faster once you realize how much work you still have to do to prepare for 2019. To that end, approaching this part of the business systematically will help ensure that you get everything done efficiently.
“Do more with less” — when it comes to IT budgeting, this is one of the most common marching orders CIOs and IT managers get. It comes as no surprise that the budget of an IT department is one of the first to get arbitrary cuts when accounting firms are trying to reduce its operating expenses. This is quite ironic given that many aspects of an accounting firm’s day-to-day tasks need technology to get done.
In house IT or outsourced — which one is better for your law firm? As a law firm, you deal with clients on a daily basis. These clients trust you with their confidential data—data that you have to entrust to a team of experienced employees. These employees juggle multiple tasks—clients and cases, deadlines and documents, managing the law firm and ensuring seamless administrative efficiency. Most importantly, everything has to run with exceptional precision, simultaneously. That’s a lot, even for established companies. And to help them with it, they seek out IT solutions for law firms that can give them a competitive edge.
In the first part of this series, we offered a Manager’s guide year end planning to getting your employees ready for 2019. Now, here’s the Manager’s guide to a year end checklist for accountants.
Let’s take a closer look at what you should do to make sure that your books are ready for the end of the year.
Sign up to hear from Will Barfield, President & CEO of Barfield Revenue Consulting, on Tuesday, January 15 from 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM as he shares how to become a magnetic, irreplaceable resource within your professional network. Learn how to create an unending flow of connections and referrals by using a three-pronged, strategic approach to personally-rewarding and business-beneficial networking.
Date and Time: Tuesday, January 15, 2019, from 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM EST
Presenter: Will Barfield, CEO of Barfield Revenue Consulting
Moderator: Eric Hobbs, CEO of Technology Associates
Cost: FREE, compliments of Technology Associates